Q-LVS: A Q-Learning-based Algorithm for Video Streaming in Peer-to-Peer Networks Considering a Token-Based Incentive Mechanism

Peer-to-peer video streaming has reached great attention during recent years. Video streaming in peer-to-peer networks is a good way to stream video on the Internet due to the high scalability, high video quality, and low bandwidth requirements. In this paper the issue of live video streaming in peer-to-peer networks which contain selfish peers is addressed. To encourage peers to cooperate in video distribution, tokens are used as an internal currency. Tokens are gained by peers when they accept requests from other peers to upload video chunks to them, and tokens are spent when sending requests to other peers to download video chunks from them. To handle the heterogeneity in the bandwidth of peers, the assumption has been made that the video is coded as multi-layered. For each layer the same token has been used, but priced differently per layer. Based on the available token pools, peers can request various qualities. A new token-based incentive mechanism has been proposed, which adapts the admission control policy of peers according to the dynamics of the request submission, request arrival, time to send requests, and bandwidth availability processes. Peer-to-peer requests could arrive at any time, so the continuous Markov Decision Process has been used.